Test Your Knowledge

Answer the questions below to find out how much you know about gambling and gambling disorders.

1. Approximately what percentage of college students gamble in a given year?

  1. 17%
  2. 37%
  3. 50%
  4. 75%

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Answer: Researchers estimate that 75 percent of college students gambled during the past year (whether legally or illegally, on campus or off).

2. What percent of college students in the U.S. have a serious gambling problem?

  1. 1%
  2. 6%
  3. 17%
  4. 33%

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Answer: The most recent research estimates that 6 percent of college students in the U.S. have a serious gambling problem.

3. Which of the following is a sign that someone may have a gambling problem?

  1. Continues betting to recover losses
  2. Seems irritable or restless when not gambling
  3. Borrows money to pay for gambling
  4. All of the above

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Answer: All of the above. While having one or more of these symptoms does not necessarily mean that someone is a pathological gambler, these are warning signs that a problem may exist and could need attention.

4. What is the legal gambling age in the United States?

  1. 16
  2. 18
  3. 21
  4. All of the above

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Answer: “All of the above” is the most accurate answer because each of the ages listed above is a legal age to engage in some form of legalized gambling in one or more U.S. states. There is no standard legal gambling age nationwide. The lowest legal age is 16 for noncasino devices and charitable games in Maine. Despite numerous differences from state to state, generally speaking the minimum legal age for the lottery is 18, pari-mutuel wagering is 18, commercial casinos is 21, Indian casinos is 18 or 21, and charitable gaming is 18.

5. If someone tossed a fair coin in the air three times and it came up heads all three times, what is the likelihood that it will come up heads on the fourth try?

  1. 5%
  2. 10%
  3. 25%
  4. 50%

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Answer: 50 percent. Each toss of the coin is an independent event unaffected by the previous tosses. Therefore, it is equally likely to come up heads the first time the coin is tossed as it is the fourth time.

6. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a “low-risk” gambler?

  1. Knows that over time everyone loses
  2. Needs to gamble increasing amounts of money to achieve desired mood
  3. Gambles for a limited amount of time
  4. Sets a budget that is within his/her means

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Answer: Needing to increase wagers in order to achieve the desired mood or level of excitement is a red flag for a gambling problem.

7. Which of the following lottery number combinations gives a player the best chance of winning?

  1. 3  12  26  34  47  55
  2. 1  2  3  4  5  6
  3. 20  25  27  40  44  49
  4. None of the above

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Answer: None of the above. Any combination of numbers has an identical probability of being selected, whether the numbers are consecutive, close or spread out.

8. What is the most frequently chosen gambling activity for college students?

  1. Bingo
  2. Card Games
  3. Casino gambling
  4. Dice games
  5. Games of skill (e.g., bowling, basketball, pool, golf, backgammon, darts)
  6. Lottery
  7. Office pools, raffles, charitable small stakes gambling
  8. Slot machines, poker machines and other gambling machines
  9. Sports betting

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Answer:

Lotteries are the most frequently chosen gambling activities for college students. Here is how other gambling activities rank:

  • Lottery: 43 percent
  • Card Games: 38 percent
  • Office pools, raffles, charitable small stakes gambling: 38 percent
  • Sports betting: 23 percent
  • Games of skill—e.g., bowling, basketball, pool, golf, backgammon, darts: 20 percent
  • Casino gambling: 15 percent
  • Bingo: 13 percent
  • Slot machines, poker machines and other gambling machines: 10 percent
  • Dice games: 8 percent